Bidet! huh What is it good for?.

My first time with a bidet was September 2010 in Venice.

I had heard of bidets but never saw one. At first sight, I didn’t  know what to make of the porcelain goddess.

Fitted with a faucet and drain–like a sink with the lines of a toilet bowl–I stared at it for a few minutes before dropping my pants and assuming the position. I cranked open the faucet and an arc of water undershot me (I was squatting instead of sitting), soaking my underwear and pants. Confused now, I retreated.

First appearing in 17th century Europe, the bidet’s primary function is to clean your private areas. Initially, placed in the bedroom, bidet–meaning Pony in French–was later moved to the bathroom taking a spot next to the toilet. The 1960s saw the introduction of the electric bidet, which attaches to the existing toilet; though, the standalone bidet can still be found in hotels, campgrounds, and houses across Europe, especially in France and Italy; though, I’m not sure if bidets are all that common in holiday cottages Yorkshire Dales in the English countryside. If you ever been or are going to be staying in any cottages in Yorkshire in the future, I’d love to know if the homes are equipped with bidets or not.

A year had passed since my first attempt with a bidet. As I stared at it from the toilet, I concluded the bidet was a dated relic like the VCR; it served its purpose, had a heyday, but the world had moved on.

I even thought about this post and how I couldn’t wait to write about the death of the bidet. However, the more I looked at it, the more curious I got. Could I really kill off something that I never properly used?

So I decided to give it another try.

Instead of just hopping on, though, I played with the faucet to get the pressure right. I also decided to skim the bidet with my buttocks instead of hovering over it.

Like Newton getting hit on the head with an apple, I had my eureka moment. I got it! And you know what I liked it.

Is the bidet necessary? No. But that’s like asking if an iPhone is necessary. Both are luxuries, but each one makes life that much sweeter, or in the case of the bidet–that much cleaner.

So my question to you is, do you bidet?

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you do want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!